On the Beach |
Chapter Summaries
See Chapter Summaries Chart
Timeline of Events
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May 1961
Six months before World War III, Peter and Mary Holmes are married.
Chapter 1
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November 1961
World War III breaks out—a nuclear war in the Northern Hemisphere lasting 37 days.
Chapter 1
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December 1961
The short war ends, and all communication from the Northern Hemisphere falls silent.
Chapter 1
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December 1961
The American submarine USS Scorpion, now under Australian command, docks in Melbourne.
Chapter 1
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1961–62
Wind currents begin carrying radioactive dust into the Southern Hemisphere.
Chapter 1
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December 27, 1962
Two days after Christmas, Lieutenant Commander Peter Holmes reports for duty.
Chapter 1
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Later that day
Peter accepts a new post as liaison officer to Dwight Towers, commander of the Scorpion.
Chapter 1
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December 29, 1962
At a weekend party, a platonic romance begins between Dwight Towers and Moira Davidson.
Chapter 1
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The next day
Research scientist John Osborne joins the Scorpion team in preparation for their upcoming mission.
Chapter 2
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January 7, 1963
Scorpion cruises to ports Cairns, Darwin, and Port Moresby, seeking signs of life.
Chapter 3
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Eleven days later
Scorpion returns to home port having sighted nothing alive except a dog on the wharf at Cairns.
Chapter 3
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End of January 1963
Random radio signals from North America are traced to a naval radio installation near Seattle.
Chapter 4
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End of March 1963
A new assignment sends the Scorpion to cruise the West Coast of North America as far as Seattle.
Chapter 5
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End of April 1963
Investigation of the naval installation reveals the signals are a fluke; no one has survived.
Chapter 6
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Late May 1963
Scorpion returns to port after affirming radiation levels in the Northern Hemisphere remain lethal.
Chapter 6
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Early August 1963
Communication throughout much of the Southern Hemisphere has gone silent.
Chapter 8
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Mid-August, 1963
Only a week or two remain before radiation will sicken and kill the people of Melbourne.
Chapter 8
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Final days—early evening
Sick and weak, John Osborne chooses to die seated behind the wheel of his prizewinning Ferrari.
Chapter 9
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Final days—next afternoon
Peter and Mary Holmes die together at home with their baby daughter, Jennifer.
Chapter 9
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Final days—early morning
Dwight Towers scuttles the Scorpion, going down with her; Moira Davidson dies watching from shore.
Chapter 9
Chapter Summaries Chart
| Chapter |
Summary |
| Chapter 1 |
The first chapter is preceded by an epigraph consisting of lines taken from the last two stanzas of the poem "The Holl...
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|
| Chapter 2 |
Early the next morning, Peter visits the farmer, Mr. Paul, to see that Mary gets milk and cream regularly while he is at...
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|
| Chapter 3 |
After nine days spent scouting the northern coasts of Australia and nearby islands, Scorpion is back in safe waters and ...
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|
| Chapter 4 |
Dwight and Moira stay overnight at Peter and Mary's home. The next morning, Dwight prepares to go to church, and Moira a...
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|
| Chapter 5 |
Mary is delighted with Peter's choice of playpen for Jennifer. Her only concern is that the baby will use the bars to st...
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|
| Chapter 6 |
Fifteen days into her cruise, Scorpion is 30 degrees south of the equator. She submerges and, ten days later, approaches...
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|
| Chapter 7 |
Maybe two or three months remain before radiation sickness hits Melbourne. Peter agrees to stay on as liaison officer wh...
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|
| Chapter 8 |
On the first day of August, only one thing is troubling Mary: Jennifer is cutting her first tooth. Aside from that, her ...
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|
| Chapter 9 |
On Tuesday morning, for the first time, radio reports acknowledge that radiation sickness has reached Melbourne. Even so...
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|
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